Biography of Papaji (1910 - 1997)

by Papaji

"Who am I?" This is what we have come here to understand,
and we have not done this at any time before. This question must
be solved but we have postponed it. Everyone has postponed it for
millions of years. We will not postpone this here. There is no method
to practice. Simply find out, "Who am I?" This is not a method or
practice or sadhana. This can be done here and now - in this instant
- because the Self is here. Enlightenment means to know thy Self
- to know, "Who am I." This is Enlightenment.

Sri H.W.L. Poonja, lovingly referred to as Papaji, was born on
October 13, 1910, 910 in Gujranwalla, in the western Punjab, which
is now in Pakistan, in a pious family of Saraswat Brahmins. Swami
Rama Tirtha, another prominent spiritual teacher was his maternal
uncle. Hence, it is possible that his family background might have
predisposed him to spirituality from an early age. According to
his biographers he had an early experience of the Self at the age
of eight or nine.

The experience left a strong impression upon him and left him
immobile for an hour or so until he regained his normal consciousness.
Later at the advice of his mother he became an ardent devotee of
Lord Krishna and lived a normal life. When he grew up, as
it was customary in many traditional Brahmin families, he married
and took up householder's duties. He had through children through
marriage and served in the British army.

During this time, he had many visions of Lord Krishna whom he
could envision at will. He also visited many parts of India meeting
Sadhus and spiritual people in search of God and find answers to
his questions. During one such occasion he encountered an ascetic
person (sadhu) at his very house who advised him to meet Sri Ramana
Maharshi.

Sri Poonjaji took the advice seriously and in 1944, at the age
of 31, went to Tiruvannamalai to meet the sage who was stationed
in his ashram at Arunachalam. Ramana Maharshi in his typical style
told him that God was not an object that could be seen. He could
realized only in a subjective state as one's own witness Self. Therefore,
he suggested him to find the seer (the seeing one) within himself.

The biographical accounts suggest that Poonjaji was not very
much convinced by the advice, he continued his devotion to Lord
Krishna. However, circumstances and many spiritual experiences brought
him again into the presence of Ramana Marshi who helped him in his
spiritual transformation and realize the Self.

He stayed in the ashram of Ramana Maharshi until 1947 and then
upon his advice returned to Punjab to move his family to safety
from their ancestral home in the newly formed and strife torn Pakistan
to Lucknow. He settled in Lucknow and remained a householder, while
continuing his spiritual work and looking after his extended family
of several disciples, including Mooji, Andrew Cohen, and David Godman,
who became his biographer.

Papaji died in September 1997. His biography, titled Nothing
Ever Happened, in three volumes, by David Godman was published in
1998, and was approved by Papaji himself prior to its publication.

Source: Reprinted with the kind permission of
the Avadhuta Foundation. The Avadhuta Foundation was established
in 1993 to further the teachings of Sri H.W.L. Poonja, affectionately
referred to as Papaji, and to make available the archives of Papaji’s
talks in India. You may
visit their website from here.

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